Run Away With Me
by MaturePopcorn
Summary: Tails the Fox, prince of Mobius, secretly likes men; one man in particular, actually. Dating in secret so as not to alert his father, will his façade of marrying a neighbouring princess continue? Or will he crumble under his pressures and disappear for good?
1. Chapter 1

Run Away With Me

MaturePopcorn

 **Description:** Tails the Fox, prince of Mobius, secretly likes men; one man in particular, actually. Dating in secret so as not to alert his father, will his façade of marrying a neighbouring princess continue? Or will he crumble under his pressures and disappear for good?

 **Warning:** Rated M for mature themes, such as alcohol use, sex, and probably a death scene at some point.

 **Author's Note I:** I've been struggling back and forth between hating and loving this story and my new writing style, so I'm going to hold my tongue and just let the writing speak for itself. _**Please**_ leave an honest review of what you think so far. Sorry Shadow is out of character, it's because he's a knight and cannot behave rudely to the royal family. Future chapters he will show his true colours.

P.S. You should listen to Baroque music while reading this, particularly Vivaldi; just a suggestion.

~Hannah~

Chapter 001

Tails the Fox, Prince of Mobius and sole heir to his father's throne, sat in his appointed seat at the royal court next to advisors and the like and sighed under his breath. Fidgeting wildly, he glanced at the king to see what the older fox's attention was currently on; at the moment, it appeared to be a prisoner begging for his life. He waited for the right moment to strike to steal away from the chamber, bored out of his gourd, but it did not come. He groaned silently and tuned back out of the conversation as the sobbing man in chains was dragged away towards the dungeons.

Next in came a foreign man from a neighbouring kingdom, along with a translator. Tails paid little attention to the discussion itself, looking only for his opportunity to slip away. Finally it came.

"…What do you _mean_ you're requesting soldiers? Can you not support your own endeavours anymore?" his father bellowed, bringing the prince back to the room. He knew his father could be stingy, and despised sharing his precious resources with their adjacent monarchies; he also knew his father would be too distracted yelling to notice him do much of anything now.

Tails took this opportunity to sneak away from the throne room, abandoning his father and the assembly of advisors. Creeping around the back of his glorified chair, he made his way to the back of the room where an exit door lay, and was spotted by a red echidna knight who was guarding the entrance. He whispered, "Don't you dare speak a word of this," before slipping through the cracked doorway and into the hall. The knight gulped, torn; he couldn't disobey a direct order from the prince, but if he was caught allowing this behaviour by the king…

The prince rushed down the hall, thinking not nor caring of the consequences to him or that knight. He reached a courtyard and ran into it, nearly knocking over a maid in his hurry. Walking briskly over to the fence that bordered the castle's garden, he easily scaled the wooden barrier and fell to his feet on the other side. Now outside the castle walls and in the garden, Tails grinned. His escape plan had worked just as it had for days now, and he knew from experience he was in the clear beyond this point. Making his way down the path slowly, he followed the cobblestone all the way to the back of the property until it turned suddenly, following the outline of the castle grounds.

Tails stepped off the path here, continuing straight ahead. His destination was just a little further now and he quickened his pace as though worried he might miss out on something. Now on tall, uncut grass, he walked in this trajectory for nearly a mile until the ground below him began to slope downward. Gently at first, then more rapidly until finally it became impossible to go any further without risk of falling. This is where the fox sat himself down, settling in a comfortable position and, closing his eyes, allowed the early afternoon sun to hit him gently, warming him.

He was still quite a ways up the hill that had become too steep to traverse; at the bottom lay some makeshift tents and a single wooden structure, then a long open field stretched for about a mile before being overtaken with forest. Tails' secret spot, away from the court and his father, had a perfect view of the knights training ground from less than a quarter mile.

Waiting patiently for the knights to arrive, the prince's stomach growled soundlessly and he wished he had acquired the foresight to pack a snack. _"Perhaps some fruit might go well with this view the next time I visit…"_ he thought before, his heart fluttering wildly, he spotted several knights leave the makeshift tents and he realized he had gotten to his spot after they had all arrived. He was just in time for the show he had expected, however, as the men and women below, donning non-protective plain white clothing, began to spar.

Eyes darting back and forth across the field, focusing on each knight for no more than a second or two, Tails searched the crowd for one person in particular. Finally, he found _him._ A black and red hedgehog, whose name the young prince did not know, was propelling a wooden sword at a nimble purple cat, who was parrying every thrust. He sighed, softening his gaze but not dropping it from the hedgehog; he, quite literally, couldn't take his eyes off of him.

Ever since first laying eyes on the unnamed hedgehog, Tails had been borderline obsessed with him, unable to get him out of his mind. For months now, the prince had thought about the knight day and night; at times, he found himself unable to sleep and without an appetite. It was killing him slowly to not be able to even speak to the creature, and seeing him at his viewing spot now only satiated his thirst for connection for a short time. He whimpered softly, unable to stop his eyes from moving up and down the hedgehogs' body; he knew it morally wrong, but he no longer cared.

Tails the Fox, prince of Mobius and heir to his father's throne, preferred men over women. In fact, women were not even part of the equation; Tails the Fox was outright homosexual.

Unfortunately, Mobius was not a very accepting place or time, and homosexuality had been punishable by death ever since Tails' grandfather was king. He knew as prince and heir to the throne, the royal court could not punish him outright, but Tails was still fearful; he knew, if caught staring at the hedgehog in this manner, he would be punished indirectly for years to come, least of all by his father, and the knight in question might very well be banished from the kingdom simply for good measure.

Then there was the issue of arranged marriages. As was common in most kingdoms across the continents, it was determined from a young age that Tails was to marry a princess, a rabbit named Cream, from a neighbouring kingdom. He had met the girl but once, and he found her to be snobbish and stuck-up; aside from liking men, Tails _deeply_ disliked his future wife. He shuddered in the warm sunlight thinking about their eventual wedding before calming himself with a breath. Tails was but 15; they were not arranged to tie the knot until he was 18, and this thought soothed him greatly.

As he continued eyeing the hedgehog, he silently prayed to God that this visit might be different than the previous few, in which he had simply watched the knights parrying before going home. As if God were indeed listening, the hedgehog suddenly yelled and gripped the base of his shirt, ripping it over his head. Now shirtless, Tails could hear even from the distance over the shouting of fellow knights, "Come at me, you parrying bastard!"

Tails heart began hammering in his chest, and he drew a shaky breath inward, grinning widely and ecstatically. Not only had he heard the hedgehogs' voice for the first time ever, but he now had more to look at; the black and red knight had a tuft of white fur on his chest, and though he couldn't see from the distance, he imagined how toned the hedgehogs' body must be. He imagined laying his head upon it, and of feeling the thick muscles contracting around his head…

Jolting him out of his thoughts, Tails realized with a start that the hedgehog had turned his head in his direction; he realized his orange fur and pinkish attire must stick out on the countryside horridly. With nowhere to hide, the prince simply froze, barely taking a breath as the hedgehog tilted his head at an angle, looking at the prince with confusion in his eyes. Now open, the purple cat took the opportunity to jab him harshly with her own wooden sword. Staggering in pain, the hedgehog whipped his head back to the lady in front of him as she snarled loud enough for Tails to hear, " _Never_ become distracted on the battlefield!"

Scared now, Tails stood on unsteady legs and realized that God must have delivered his wish a little heavy-handedly. Not only had he seen the hedgehog bare above his waist and heard his deep and booming voice, but he had been _noticed_ ; this was going overboard in the fox's opinion, and still worried something bad might come of the moment if he was to be spotted again, he turned towards the direction of the castle and ran home. He didn't stop running full speed until he had tightly shut the door to his room and lay on his bed, panting heavily.

Tails lost his appetite and skipped dinner, and was unable to sleep even a second that night.

* * *

The next morning, as the prince slowly dragged himself to the feasting table, he couldn't stop thinking about the day before. He sat himself at the large wooden bench across from his father and rubbed his bleary eyes, sighing, "Good morning."

The king glanced up from his food and quickly noticed a perpetual half smile plastered across his sons' face, though he noted that the prince looked indeed exhausted. He inquired gently, "What has you in such a good mood this morning?" Tails blinked in response and, widening his eyes in mild concern, dropped the grin immediately. This raised suspicions in the king who, remembering the afternoon before, continued in a slightly harsher tone, "And where might you have disappeared to during our assembly?"

Tails laughed nervously, eyes flashing more anxiety, and the king stared at him hard. Finally, after a few moments of silence, the younger fox mumbled the half-truth, "I was just out for a walk among the grounds…" before picking up his fork and piecing a bite of egg onto it. As he was about to bring it to his mouth, he thought back to his fantasies of the hedgehogs' toned, muscular body. Heart beginning to beat faster in his chest and stomach seemingly doing somersaults, the prince lost his appetite once more and set the fork back down upon the plate. Stretching, he stood and walked away from the table as quickly as he had approached it, heading now towards the kitchen.

His father commanded, "Tails, not another step," before standing himself and strolling around the bench to the younger fox. Placing a large hand on Tails' shoulder, the prince flinched; his father was rarely affectionate, and with his mother having died four years prior, he was hardly used to physical contact of any kind. Noticing this, the king removed his hand and softly but firmly stated, "Something is the matter with you. Need I call for a doctor?"

Tails whipped his head to look his father in the eyes. He responded, "N-no," in a shaky voice before timidly continuing, "I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all. I'll be fine if I'm allowed a short rest."

Shaking his head slowly, the older and larger fox closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. Exhaling, he stated to the younger fox, "I'm assigning a knight to escort you around for the rest of the day; no, the week, until you are feeling better, to make sure someone is with you if anything is to happen to you." Tails knew that ever since his mother's passing, his father had been hyper-vigilant about his son's health, though he found it quite annoying and, at times, intrusive.

Groaning softly so as not to be heard, Tails protested meekly, "Father, I assure you I'll be fine within a few _hours_ at most, there's no need-"

"My order is final," the king said stiffly, cutting his son off. As the prince whimpered under his breath, he thought deeply for a moment. He hesitantly added, "If it makes you feel well, I will allow you to choose the knight." The king then thought to himself, _"Though I doubt you know any of them by name…"_

At once Tails answered, interrupting the kings' thoughts, "The hedgehog." He stiffened again then; he had answered too quickly and enthusiastically. Unable to take his words back now, he added in a cooler, more even tone, "The black and red one."

The older fox seemed not to have noticed his son's suspicious demeanour, however, and simply queried rhetorically, "Shadow?" Thinking, he stroked his chin and turned his head away from the younger fox, answering back, "That will be fine; I'll inform him personally at once." Beckoning to a guard, he informed the sentry of the situation that had transpired, and she set out at once to locate the hedgehog in question.

Tails head spun wildly, in part from lack of sleep, and he found himself slightly dizzy as he thought to himself, _"Now I even know his name…!_ " He happily grinned once more, and said to his father, "I'm going to lay down in my bed, now. You can send this, 'Shadow', to me later."

Shaking his head once more, the older fox stated, "No, he will be sent to your quarters to be with you as you sleep."

Tails opened his mouth to protest, but his father held up a hand to silence him before turning and strolling down the hall, indicating that the matter was non-negotiable. Tails, now alone in the dining room, groaned loudly and freely. How would he ever get any rest with _Shadow_ watching him sleep?

The prince made his way back to his bedroom and closed the door, leaning against it. His wish to God the day prior had gotten far too out of hand, and he found himself praying that the situation settled down; the last thing he needed was his liking for men to be discovered, and he felt as though he were playing dangerous games with fate, tempting it. He clambered onto his bed, messing the covers wildly, and lay on top of them in his court attire from the previous day; he still had not bothered to change, but he didn't care. He was simply so tired. Closing his eyes, the young fox began to doze when, after not ten minutes had passed, he heard his bedroom door creak open once more.

Sitting straight up in bed immediately, the fox watched with intense eyes as the black and red hedgehog entered his room, and the two made eye contact. Instinctively, the knight quickly glanced away; as a commoner, he need know his place in the royal household at all times. As if awaiting orders, he stood by the partially cracked door, hesitating. The prince, blinking heavily without averting his gaze, meekly said, "You may sit down, if you wish."

The hedgehog turned then, pausing as though confused, furrowed his brow. He was unaccustomed to receiving orders that ended with a mere suggestion; he didn't know whether to sit or not. _"Is this a trial from the king…?"_ he thought to himself, before finally choosing to walk to a sofa on the far wall of the room, sitting down.

The two sat in silence for several long minutes. Tails continued to stare at his new guard, looking him up and down without discrimination or care; the guard, in turn, stared at the wall just beside the prince, not looking directly at him. Eventually, consciously or subconsciously, the fox blurted out, "Your name is Shadow, yes?" The hedgehog stiffened. In Mobius' royal court, knights were not permitted to speak to the royal family whatsoever, with nil exceptions. He darted his eyes at the prince, making eye contact for a moment, before glancing down at the floor and nodding his head. Tails prompted, "And your age?" Unable to use body language to respond, the knight began to panic. If this _was_ a trial from the king, he was deathly afraid of the consequences of failing. He took the risk of allowing himself to stare directly into Tails' eyes for several long moments, and as he did so the fox's heart rate quickened once again. He found himself inhaling the air shakily. Quieting his breaths so as not to concern the hedgehog, he closed his eyes and calmed himself. Breathing out, he added gently and sincerely, "I'm granting you permission to speak."

Shadow was utterly bewildered at this. The last time a knight had been granted permission to speak to a member of the royal family was at the time of the late queen's passing four years prior; the king, finding himself drunk in a stupor as though to numb his grief, had held conversations with nearly every member of his staff he could locate in an attempt to distract himself.

Finding his courage and tongue, the hedgehog tentatively replied in a low, husky growl, "I'm twenty-four." The moment felt surreal to him, speaking to the prince, and he found himself unable to control the words that spilled out of his mouth. "If I may be so bold, my prince…" he said before pausing to allow the fox to answer.

Tails blinked open his eyes and flashed an uncertain, weak smile, responding, "Yes, go forward then."

Shadow continued in his growl, "The king stated you requested me specifically. I'd like to know why, as we've never encountered each other before today." He widened his eyes in surprise at his own audacious question and regretted it immediately; no knight had ever been so open and daring with the prince, and he was unsure of how the fox might respond.

The prince answered truthfully in a whisper, "I don't quite know myself," before hesitating. Eyes lighting up, he added against his better judgement, "But we have encountered each other, have we not?"

Shadow's heart sank; was he to be punished for merely _looking_ at the prince during his training session? He knew the king, though kind and caring to his son and late wife, could be rash and impulsive to strangers, sometimes going so far as to be downright cruel if he felt his family were threatened. He slowly and unsteadily replied, "Yes… At the training grounds. You were spectating from the hillside."

Tails nodded, smiling sweetly. For some unknown reasoning, Shadow's anxiety melted gradually until he no longer worried about the king. He instinctively knew in that moment, gazing upon the princes' warm and genuine beaming face, that this was not a trial of any sort and that the situation may in fact be as all seemed. The princes' smiled faltered for, unbeknownst to the hedgehog, the prince thought his new guard may report back anything he said. He hurriedly lied, "Yes, I've been extremely enamoured with the fighting as I visited that hill this past week; I'll probably never get to see anything like it in my life, and I quite enjoy watching everyone contest."

Suddenly lying flat on his back, the young prince thought miserably to himself, " _If only that were the truest extent of my desires…"_ before sighing audibly, "I believe I'm going to turn in now; you may read something if you'd like."

The hedgehog turned his head and glanced upon a large bookshelf at the far end of the room. Standing, he made his way over to it and scanned the books for something familiar; finding Macbeth but finding it somewhat treasonous to read such material in the presence of the royal family, he settled for Hamlet. Picking the book off the shelf, he returned to his seat and began consuming the literature quietly to himself.

A full thirty minutes passed as the fox snored softly in his sleep. Finding the book in his hands to be thick and unpalatable, Shadow set it on the floor quietly and settled for staring into blankness. He found his gaze to be resting upon the prince, whose chest rose and fell rhythmically; the action mollified the hedgehog, whose own emotions had been spiralling that day for his own secretive reasons. The knight, a very stoic person even by royal knight standards, kept his homelife quite separate from his duty as a royal guard; yet even he could not sojourn himself from his feelings in the moment, and, finding himself alone, he faltered. Allowing a single tear to spill from his left eye, he breathed deeply before wiping it away and turning his face hard and indifferent once more.

Shadow's father had died the previous evening.

He felt no need to inform the king, though he knew he would be granted a day or even two to himself if he had. He desperately needed the pay to support his ailing and now widowed mother; though he had no wife or children to speak of, he found himself barely putting food on both the proverbial and literal table some days. Watching the young fox breath slowly and deeply, he allowed a deep calming sensation to wash over him; something about the stillness of it all soothed him in his strained state.

Snorting gently in his sleep, the prince turned and blinked open his eyes. Sitting up slowly, he stated rhetorically, "Look, father, not even an hours' nap and I already feel better," chuckling softly. The truth of the matter was he only felt better having finally gotten some answers about his secret admirer. He stretched and stood from the bed then, noticing his clothing, he turned his head to look at the hedgehog. A light flush of pink appeared on the fox's cheeks as he requested softly, "Ah, would you mind turning, please?" Shadow blinked and did so at once, blushing mildly solely in embarrassment. The prince got changed behind him quickly and when he received the signal that it was alright to look again, he turned once more. Tails was now dressed fully in his standard princely attire, bouncy and frilly, and he sighed indignantly in it, stating, "I'd much prefer to wear something freer, but this is what is expected I suppose…"

Shadow blinked in understanding; he despised wearing his full suits of armour and much preferred to don simple clothing more befitting of a peasant. It simply felt better on his skin.

Throughout the day, the prince wandered the castle aimlessly out of boredom. He made his way down corridors and into gardens, through hallways and spare rooms, stopping several times in the kitchen, before finally laying in the grass just outside the castle grounds; the hedgehog dutifully followed wherever he went. Tails thought briefly about taking up archery but, thinking himself terrible at the sport, decided against it to alleviate any embarrassment he may cause in the presence of his guard. He decided instead sometime around tea time that he'd like to take a stroll to the river nearby; his father granted him permission, and he and Shadow set off. Exiting the castle grounds and following the cobblestone path, this time to the right of the front of the manor, they walked for several long miles before arriving at the thickly wooded riverbank.

Tails inquisitively bent down, bending his legs and keeping his knees straight, as he poked a stick in the river, sending a small group of fish scattering. Finding this amusing, he continued poking his rod into the stream, displacing more aquatic life and giggling to himself. Bemused, Shadow couldn't help but smile softly. Though he had known the prince for barely a few hours, he had developed a slight attachment for the boy and his quirky mannerisms. He especially enjoyed the kindness of the young fox's words and gesticulations, a sharp contrast to his father, the king. Shadow walked over to the boy, kneeling beside him. Assuming he was still permitted to speak, he inquired, "You're feeling much better now, then, I hope?"

The prince smiled softly back at his knight. "Yes," he responded, "My rest did me well, and I always relish in the outdoors." He attempted to prod his stick further into the rushing body of water and, in doing so, lost his footing, falling. Reacting rapidly, Shadow caught the boy just before he landed in the river and held him in his arms for a moment; Tails heart began to hammer as the hedgehog slowly brought him back to a standing position a few feet from the bank.

Unsure of what to say, Tails stuttered, "Ah, you… Thank you…" before shakily taking a few steps further from the river. He sat down on the soft earth and the hedgehog followed suit, and the two sat in silence for a few moments as the prince breathed somewhat heavily. Finding himself unable to keep his pubescent emotions in check any longer, Tails informed his guard, "Shadow, I am going to tell you a secret now. If you tell my father of it… I will find a way to punish you beyond your wildest imagination."

The knight blinked, startled. He, though admittedly not quite used to the boy at _all_ yet _,_ was unaccustomed of being spoken to this way by him. His usually kind demeanour had been dropped and, in its place, stood a cold yet fearful glare. The fox had every reason to be distrust worthy, after all; every secret he had ever told had come back around to haunt him in the end, with everyone from advisors to maids reporting back to the king. Deciding that, no matter the clandestine, he would vow himself to silence on the subject and protect the young boy, the hedgehog simply nodded in response and waited for the prince to share what was so desperately gnawing at him.

Sending a quick prayer to God, the young fox found himself oddly at ease; he already trusted the hedgehog greatly, and knew internally with no proof that his secret would be safe. Firmly and without fear, Tails stated loudly, "I find myself to prefer men."

Balking, Shadow reared his head back slightly. Of all the things he could have prepared himself for the young prince to say… He stumbled over his own tongue in an attempt to appear normal, saying, "Ah, you… That is…" he paused then, and in a moment of swift misjudgement, blurted out, "But what of Princess Cream?"

The fox laughed bitterly, a sadness returning to his senses. Softly he spoke, "You believe me to have any choice in the matter? No," before closing his eyes and breathing in the warm midsummer air. Then he continued, "It is not so much I dislike _her,_ it is that I dislike the female form…" then trailed off gently. As tears appeared in the corners of his eyes, he finished by stating, "It's a wonder I haven't run off to the peasant lands yet."

Shadow said nothing, instead choosing to watch the water flow through the river. He knew not of the demons tormenting the young boy, and though he wished to council and aid him, he knew it to not be his place. The pair sat in silence for what seemed like days as billowing clouds rolled on above them, occasionally blocking the sun for a moment or two at a time. His heart truly felt for the prince he hardly knew; he himself had often wondered why he did not abandon his few friends and family to live as a peasant far off in the countryside. He thought his life could be easier and freer if he did; yet he always remained, notably due to his mother and, though quite begrudgingly on his end, his fiancé.

Shadow had hardly taken to even kiss the woman he was set to marry, a young bat named Rouge; a top spy for the kingdom, she was bold and crass, going so far as to behaving downright rude at times, and the hedgehog found himself unable to give her affection, though not for lack of trying. He simply found himself unable to bring himself to be affectionate for unknown causation.

Standing slowly, Tails interrupted the knights' thoughts by sighing, "Perhaps we are to return home now," before turning to the direction of the castle, not bothering to wait for his escort to follow. Shadow stood and followed, quickly catching up to the boy, and the two walked silently back to the castle grounds where, upon re-entering the massive front gates, they discovered the king to be waiting for their return. Tails shot a single knowing glance at Shadow, and the hedgehog merely nodded minutely in response; against his vows, he would not report to the boys' father what had been shared with him.

The older fox smiled warmly yet melancholily at his son as he entered the grounds and bellowed from across the yard, "Tails, come, there is to be a feast! Your knight is to attend as well, naturally, though he may not drink."

The prince furrowed his brow in confusion, then remembered the occasion. It was his mother's birthday, and though long perished from the Earth, his father still felt the need to celebrate such events in her honour. Tails didn't mind; he used the proceedings as an excuse to drink himself to a stupor, much like his father, though not out of grief and instead out of pleasure. As royalty of Mobius with many duties to uphold, they hardly drank save special moments and dark times, and Tails relished in any opportunity to do so.

Finding himself in the dining room minutes later with his father to one side and Shadow to his other, the young prince wasted no time in demanding a pint of beer be brought to the table. The hedgehog had not been permitted to drink, but this didn't bother him; he decided he would drink that evening in his own home, after the fox had gone to sleep. He was, however, minorly jealous when Tails began to consume the alcoholic beverage more heavily than he had initially anticipated.

Quickly guzzling the frothy liquid that appeared before him, Tails practically slammed the now empty glass down on the table and exhaled deeply and warmly, cheeks flush. He fiercely ordered another pint as his father finished the latter half of the first one, and the older fox merrily cheered, "Yes, more for the entire table!"

Dinner came and went relatively uneventfully, and Tails soon found himself barely able to stand, let alone walk back to his chambers. He breathed warmly, eyes narrowed and glazed over, and beckoned to the hedgehog beside him to assist him. Leaning heavily for support, the fox made his way back to his bedroom and, upon entering his private abode, uncoupled from his knight and stumbled wildly to his bed in the centre of the room. Sitting on it, he removed some of his more extraneous overclothing in a disorderly fashion and sighed, smiling softly to himself.

The prince then commanded, in a disorderly jumbled speech, "Lay beside me, Shadow," before leaning back himself, laying his head on his pillow. Gripping the underside of his blouse, he attempted to take it off, muttering the word, "Hot…" before, unable to remove the garment, gave up and lay there unmoving. He rolled his head to the side so as to see the hedgehog in front of him. Inhibitions now quite lowered, Tails gazed upon the knight with blurred vision, though the expression of lust was noticeable on his eyes. Shadow swallowed air, concerned, unsure of how to react to the fox's demand.

"My prince, if I may-" he began, but was interrupted by the highly inebriated boy.

"You may, after you rest your head."

Scratching the back of his head slowly, Shadow took several unsteady steps towards the bed and, upon arriving at it, sat off the side. He silently thrust his legs up and over the side so he was now sitting fully on the bed, and he started, "My prince," yet the boy held up his hand to silence the knight.

"Please, lay, so I may rest my head upon your shoulder," he slurred softly, adding with a slight smirk, "And you may call me by my name, Tails."

Baffled by now understanding of the princes' desires, the man simply did as instructed and lay his head next to the boys'. Tails moved himself over to the hedgehog and indeed laid his head on the older creature's shoulder, feeling the warm, broad structure around his face. Breathing in deeply, the fox drew in the hedgehog's scent and found it immensely soothing and peaceful; he felt as though he recognized it somewhere, though he decided this was impossible. Thoroughly tired from the day and in the company of his secret infatuation, Tails immediately drifted into a deep slumber that he would not awaken from for many hours. The knight himself was hardly able to sleep.

* * *

Several days passed, and the two spoke not of the princes' somewhat improper behaviour. Though the king had since lifted his need for an escort, Tails demanded to his father that the hedgehog be appointed his permanent personal guard, and the older fox agreed under the condition that his son take his princely duties more seriously from thence forward. Now in the company of the hedgehog every day, the two chatted aimlessly about many things, and the fox learned of the intimacies his guard's life at request. He discovered the passing of Shadow's father, the ailment of his mother, and of his fiancé Rouge. It was this last individual Tails had seemed the most interested in, badgering Shadow for intimate and often embarrassing details of his homelife. The hedgehog found it interesting that the fox had taken such an interest to his fiancé in particular, and behind the prince's carefully guarded eyes were senses of passion and longing that he did not understand.

Now, with darkness having fallen and the young fox having turned in for bed once more, the knight was on his way home. He breathed the scent of the wild flowers that grew along the pathway from the castle to his abode, and he found the cool nightly breeze to soothe him and his sore muscles as he made his way. After a mile or so he found himself at his house; well, it was more of a shack, really, but the hedgehog never really minded much. He opened the door and made his way inside.

"Rouge, I've returned," he called through the small wooden structure. He scented the warm and delicious odour of food emanating from the stove, and noticed the main room was empty. The bat suddenly appeared from around the corner, however, having been in the bedroom.

Breathing out, Rouge stated, "That _prince_ certainly keeps you late these days; you'll be off to bed soon." It was common knowledge to Shadow that the bat had a certain secret disliking for the royal family, and she hated referring to the prince or his father in any manner, despite being employed by them. She had especially been unhappy several nights prior, when Shadow had failed to return home at all.

Shadow stifled a yawn and replied, "I'll be off to bed _now;_ I've already eaten."

Rouge dropped her gaze, though before she did so Shadow noticed anger flare in her eyes. She muttered, "When will you have time for me, my love?" before turning to the stove and attending to her food once more, stoically. The knight sighed quietly and ignored this, unable to bring himself to comfort her; he simply didn't have the desire to.

Crawling into bed, he found himself hoping to drift into sleep before his fiancé got in next to him. He thought about why this might be, and concluded quickly that he did not wish to merely be in physical contact with her. He thought about why _this_ might be, but could not come up with a precise answer. He thought back to all relationships he had held with women in the past, of his friendships with his fellow knights, and of his desires when looking for a potential mate…

Shadow jolted from his dozing, sitting straight up in bed. He had his answer.

He had settled for anyone to marry at all because his mother and father had requested grandchildren, and at twenty-four he was well overdue to have had his firstborn. If it was fully up to him, he would have remained single. Rouge the Bat was the most crass, boyish female he could find, going so far as to sport masculine hair and plain clothing, and this was one of the few things he liked about her; with this, coupled with when he thought back to the princes' confession on the riverbank a week prior, the pieces to his troubled romantic life finally fell into place. Shadow preferred men as well.

Breathing heavily at this revelation, the knight stood and shakily walked to the bedroom's exit, down the hallway, and out the front door, ignoring the sounds of protest from his fiancé. He turned left at the entrance to his home and walked forward, unsure of how far he would go; he did not stop until he reached the very river he and the prince had visited, somewhere downstream.

Breathing deeply, he gritted his teeth and began to groan; this quickly turned into a loud cry of anguish and he gathered a large rock in his hand, throwing it as hard as he could into the river. Screaming incoherently now, the knight allowed short bursts of sobs to wrack his body. He cursed God as he knelt down, tears streaming down his face; what cruel deity would allow such torment? To allow a creature such as himself to enjoy only the company of men when the laws of his land would not permit it?

Shadow stayed by the river that night, unable to sleep. He walked along the bank, occasionally resting, until the sun rose over the distant mountains the following morning. Finally, bleary eyed and groggy with sleep deprivation, he turned and made his way back towards the castle; he had not bothered to change his clothing from the day prior, and could now walk straight to the prince appearing as though the night had been average.

About an hour after setting out for the large manor, however, he came into contact with the prince as he was eating breakfast and the young fox knew at once knew something was awry. He warily stared at his guard as the king left the room without even acknowledging the hedgehog. Making sure his father was out of earshot, the prince asked in a hushed tone, "Shadow, is everything alright?" He received a nod in response and frowned, unsatisfied. Standing from his half-eaten meal, he turned and hurriedly walked towards the manor's main staircase, beckoning his guard to follow.

Assuming they were headed to the prince's room, the hedgehog turned down the wrong hallway before stopping suddenly. He turned his head and noticed the prince gliding down in the opposite direction and he ran to catch up, losing his breath in the process; his lack of sleep had made him physically exhausted. Finally the young fox slowed his pace to a halt in the middle of the hallway, turning to his right where an open arch led out onto a wide circular balcony.

Sitting on a bench in the warm open air, the fox indicated for the knight to be seated next to him, and the hedgehog obliged. Gazing over the balcony banister, he could see the large and sprawling garden of the castle; further off, an orchard of trees grew fruits of all sorts, and archery targets were strewn about. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the prince gazing at him softly.

"Shadow," the prince began, narrowing his eyes in concern. "I know you to be my knight, but I find you quite comforting; I pray you view me as more than just your assignment, as your friend. Just as I view you mine." The hedgehog found himself nodding without thinking of the consequences beforehand, and the prince smiled. Continuing, he stated, "Good. With that being said, I would like you to inform me of what is ailing you. You do not appear your regular self, despite your efforts to conceal it, and I know something to be the matter. Perhaps as prince I can assist you," he finished, looking on at the hedgehog intently.

The knight, fatiguedly losing control of his own inhibitions, found himself replying, "Tails, my prince, there is nothing you could do to help me. We appear to be in a similar metaphorical boat of sorts, you see…" He faltered here, scared to continue. The fox leaned his head forward slightly as if to comfort the hedgehog, and he continued tentatively, "You have shared your secrets with me, perhaps it is only fair to do the same with you." He paused and, drawing in a deep breath, whispered, "I find myself to prefer men, as well," barely audible in the still and silent room.

Tails' eyes grew wide with shock, and he attempted to no avail to hide a grin that formed on his face. The knight tilted his head slightly, puzzled, and inquired, "Why do you find yourself smiling at this?"

Quickly thinking of a lie, the fox shot back coolly, "Don't you see? Neither of us are alone in our struggles." He laughed nervously, thinking to himself, " _If only that were the sole reason for my joy; can you not see I yearn for you?"_

If he _could_ see, Shadow took no note of it. Instead, he smiled back weakly and answered, "Yes, I suppose that is rather nice. To have company to share our truest feelings and despairs with." He stood from the bench and walked to the centre of the balcony, then began pacing, a grimace appearing on his face. "But what am I to do? My marriage to Rouge is set for a month from tomorrow; I surely cannot get out of it now."

Tails thought for a moment, glancing around the semi-circular enclosure. His gaze falling on several books on a bookshelf just inside the hallway, he murmured, "Let me think for a moment," before standing as well and walking over to it. He scanned the books, muttering incoherently to himself, before he stumbled upon a thick and expensive looking book; the cover read a foreign language Shadow did not understand. He turned and said, "You may turn in for the day; I will inform my father that I have given you tomorrow to do with as you please until tea time."

The knight nodded and, bowing slightly, exited the hallway. He returned to his home as quickly as his legs would carry him, and he finally found himself able to sleep having shared his secret with another caring soul; he would not open his eyes, upon closing them, for many hours until the following morning.

* * *

The next day came, and Shadow found himself alone with his unusually affectionate fiancé, quite to his misery. The knight had felt remorseful for ignoring her so long and had kissed her softly the previous evening before turning in, which he immediately regretted. Yet the damage had been done. After sleeping together peacefully, the bat had awoken in a rather good mood and had pecked Shadow on the cheek, which he quickly wiped away when her back was turned. How he had ever agreed to marry this woman was a mystery to him…

Now the bat was making lunch, a stew of sorts, and she stood humming a tune to herself as she stirred the pot. Shadow groaned silently from his seat at the kitchen table, so as not to alert his fiancé; why had he felt the need to show affection? _"You give them the tip, and they take the whole carrot,"_ he thought sombrely, wishing he had been able to keep his guilt in check.

A knock came suddenly at the door and Rouge, still standing at the stove, walked over and answered it. A red echidna and fellow knight to Shadow stood with a long scroll in his arms, saying, "This is from the king, for you," before turning and leaving without another word. The bat closed the door and furrowed her brow as she opened the scroll, scanning the document quickly. As she read, her breathing increased in speed and volume until it filled the room, nearly suffocating Shadow with tension.

Finding himself wishing to console the clearly distressed creature out of his own discomfort, he asked softly, "What is it, my love?" and grimaced; calling this woman "love" felt forced and left a bad aftertaste in his mouth.

"The _king,_ " Rouge snarled after a moment of silence, startling her fiancé, "appears to have called on me to spy on the neighbouring kingdom." In a rare moment of emotion, she blinked back tears that formed in the corners of her eyes and finished, "I leave immediately; judging by the assignment, I won't be back in time for our wedding."

The knight blinked hard. Was this the princes' doing? He opened his mouth to console her further but found nothing to say; in all actuality, he was rather happy. His wedding was at least postponed, if not indefinitely, and he could put off his consummation and virginity a moment or two longer. He turned his head, hiding a flash of a smile, before turning back and simply nodding.

Rouge's eyes turned hard once more and she spat at her fiancé, "Though I don't suppose _you_ give a damn, do you?" Shadow flinched, startled, and the bat left the room with a final, "Humph," before he could speak a word, calling from the hallway, "Sleep outside again, you uncaring bastard."

The hedgehog sat at his chair, bewildered; surely his fiancé would have no way of knowing his true feelings for her? He had kissed her just that night, after all, and had called her his, "love". What reason could she have for behaving so poorly towards him? Thinking back, he realized that perhaps he _had_ been rather lacking in displays of affection with her overall, going so far as to refuse her simple caresses at times. His sudden and unexplained disappearance the night before must have caused some alarm as well. He sighed as he concluded that she must know in her heart of his inability to love for her; whether she had decided this consciously or unconsciously was undetermined. He idled in his seat for a few moments, considering an attempt to reconcile with the female bat, but ultimately decided against it; the gesture now would only infuriate her further. Instead, he got up and walked to the front door and left his home.

Shadow made his way to the castle, strolling along the cobblestone path and feeling the mid-afternoon sun strike his body warmly. He put the encounter with Rouge out of his mind as he entered the massive gates and, passing a maid, inquired, "Am I late for tea?"

"No," came a short response, followed by hesitation. Shadow could sense concern and disappointment from the woman's face. She added, "Though you may want to check the prince's quarters first; he appears to have turned in early today."  
Heart sinking in his chest, the knight indeed sauntered past the dining hall and made his way instead to the great spiral staircase that led to the third floor of the castle. He walked down a long hall before, arriving at the prince's door, he paused to take a deep breath. He knew in his gut that something was the matter, and nothing good was to come of his encounter with the young fox.

Or so he thought.

Pushing open the door without knocking, he spotted the prince sitting at the edge of his bed with a book in his hand, reading silently. Though all appeared normal at first, Shadow could tell that something was _indeed_ queer of the situation; Tails' attire was quite untidy and untucked, and his fur stuck up at odd ends in places. The knight rapped on the now open door to gain the boy's attention and, closing his book, Tails looked at Shadow with hazy eyes.

Several moments passed in stoic silence as the knight closed the door quietly. The prince continued to stare and snorted plainly without questioning, "Well, I appear to have found myself drunken yet again."

"For what purpose?" the hedgehog inquired softly, mildly concerned. By now he was well accustomed to speaking to the prince and no longer found it surreal.

Tails merely shrugged his shoulders up, holding them for a moment, before dropping them with a deep sigh. Finally he stated, "I would like to say it is for mere enjoyment, but truthfully it is to forget my troubles." His eyes shone dejection and desperation from behind the inebriation, and Shadow decided it best not to press any further than this.

Changing the subject, he instead asked suddenly, "Might you have had something to do with my fiancé leaving the kingdom for several months?" Smiling, he quickly added, "If so, I offer you my sincere appreciations," before sitting on the bed beside the prince.

Smiling back and losing his solemn demeanour, the young fox answered with a slight lilt, "Yes, at breakfast this morning, I convinced my father that the neighbouring kingdom Cream belongs to may be on the verge of revolt." He paused to allow a quick laugh before commenting, "They are _not,_ of course, but Rouge shan't discover that for quite some time."

Shadow breathed out and tiled his head back, closing his eyes. "Thank you, again," he said blissfully. With time bought, he could focus on finding a way to call off the marriage all together. Sitting on the bed beside the prince, Shadow glanced at the book, the foreign piece from the previous day. He queried curiously, "What might your story be about?"

The fox's smile held, a genuine sweetness shining from his eyes as he answered, "It is from a kingdom far from here, written in a language I was taught as a young child. I found this story particularly interesting because the subject matter happens to parallel our current situation with striking accuracy." When the knight tilted his head slightly, the boy continued, "It tells the story of a prince who falls for a maid of his manor, and he begins to date her in secrecy."

Blinking, Shadow whispered, "Is that so?" before adding, "I'm surprised the king allows such a book in the castle."

Laughing, the fox snorted, "The _king_ doesn't speak this language and hasn't the slightest idea this book exists. I intend to keep it this way." Then his eyes grew sad, and an uneasy feeling settled in the hedgehog's stomach. Tails summoned all of his courage as he thought back to the book beside him once more. "Shadow," he said firmly, so as to announce that he had grown serious once more, "I have done something for you, and now I must request you do something for me." Taking a deep shaky breath and continuing before the hedgehog could query what of, he further said, "I have another secret to share with you as well."

The hedgehog nodded, bracing himself. Knowing the drunk prince might very well say anything in his state, he prepared himself for the worst. The prince continued, "This book mirrors our situation a little _too_ eerily…" The knight found himself holding his breath as the pieces came together subconsciously, but soon lost his air when the young fox stated quickly and with reckless abandon, "I find myself to have taken a liking to you."

Two thoughts crossed through the knights' mind in a flash. First was a subconscious lull, a secret desire he held burning in his chest that willed him to say, " _And I as well."_ He found this thought to be alarming; he had never thought of the prince in such a manner, and now knowing that this unknown desire was reciprocated, his heart soared slightly. He balked, stomach churning. Holding his tongue and discarding this thought, his mind carried on to his second idea; a form of a list, really. There were three pertinent bullets on this list.

First, the two creatures were both men, and although homosexuality was somewhat accepted by peasants in the countryside, the royal family would have him banished at a _minimum_ if they discovered his lustful desires for the same sex. He himself had only just discovered his liking for men recently, and had never thought about any one particular man in such a way.

Second, the two creatures were separated by nine years of age. Though marriage was common at the prince's age, Shadow found the gap in their stages of development to be more pressing; the prince was still a teenager, barely entering puberty, and he a full-grown adult.

Third, and most notably, the two creatures were separated by class by quite a wide margin. This was no situation in which a merchant loved a farmer; this was a royal prince in love with a mere castle guard. The consequences of any form of relationship would be monstrously disastrous, and banishment would be out of the question; the king would have Shadow hanged that day without question.

Unable to formulate his concerns into words, and wishing not to formulate his desires, the knight instead settled for simply ignoring them both and inquiring of the young prince, in a surprisingly steady voice, "And your request?"

"Kiss me," the drunken prince commanded in a short, sharp breath.

 **Author's Note II:** _**Please**_ leave a strikingly honest review; I'd like the criticism. This is a new writing style for me and I don't know whether to continue it in this manner or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Run Away With Me

MaturePopcorn

 **Description:** Tails the Fox, prince of Mobius, secretly likes men; one man in particular, actually. Dating in secret so as not to alert his father, will his façade of marrying a neighbouring princess continue? Or will he crumble under his pressures and disappear for good?

 **Warning:** Rated M for mature themes. This chapter covers alcohol use, next chapter covers a sex scene.

 **Author's Note I:** Well, here's chapter two… I hope this story is alright lol

~Hannah~

Chapter 002

Shadow stared as he processed these words, which took several seconds. Utterly shocked and bewildered, Shadow practically leapt from the bed as he exclaimed, "You wish for me to kiss you?"

Frantically Tails waved his arms, whispering loudly, "Please, silence yourself, or a passing guard may hear!" The prince settled down then and added in a firmer voice, "You have heard me as clear as the morning breeze, Shadow. I wish for you to kiss me." All signs of inebriation were absent from his body; it was as though he had not drank. He continued, desperation creeping into his speech, "Please, my knight, can you not see that I yearn for you dearly? Late at night, when I am alone…" he trailed off, cheeks flush with colour.

The hedgehog widened his eyes in surprise, his face matching the fox's in redness. He had absolutely no idea the young fox thought of him in such a manner. _"And in such certain terms, he… Touches…"_ Shadow refused to finish his own thoughts, forcing them out of his mind before stating plainly, "My prince, I cannot. Aside from a punishment of hanging if we were to be caught, I find it highly improper."

"I believe I requested you call me Tails," the prince shot back coolly, frowning. He whimpered softly, "Improper? Do you not feel for me in this way, then…?"

The knight exhaled slowly, eyes glossing over with an inexplainable sadness and longing. "I never stated such a fact," he breathed, "But with your age and gender, surely it is impossible. I'm truly sorry, my-" before cutting himself off. He continued after a pause, "Tails, but the risk greatly outweighs the reward."

The fox's face lit up suddenly, as though his mind had finally processed these words. "You… Never _did_ state such a fact, did you? Do you fancy me, Shadow?" he boldly asked.

At this query, the hedgehog found the subconscious lull to reappear. It nagged at the corners of his mind, urging him to say yes, to give in to the fox's demands and kiss him fully. He attempted to push these thoughts away; this time, however, it was to no avail. Almost against his will, he found himself nodding slowly without thinking. His eyes widened further still as he did so, and he opened his mouth to speak, yet no words came out. The prince's face beamed as brightly as the morning sun, and the knight found it almost intoxicating. He could not draw his eyes away.

The prince spoke softly, stating an obvious fact, "I fancy you as well," before standing from his bed as well and walking over to his knight. He slipped his smaller hand into the hedgehogs' and held it tightly, staring deeply into his eyes. The two stood for several long moments before, without warning, Tails began to lean his head upwards.

 _"God, help me,"_ Shadow thought as he closed his eyes and allowed the moment to continue without further protest. He leaned his own head down so as to meet the boy halfway and, finding himself occupying the same space as him, pressed his lips to the fox's. His whole body immediately tingled curiously; he had kissed women before, though often drunk, yet somehow this kiss felt different. It felt surreal and almost magical, and it certainly felt astonishingly amazing to the hedgehog. Breathing only through his nose, he scented the smell of perfume and roses on the prince, only adding to the feeling of intoxication. He decided he rather liked kissing the boy.

For Tails, whose very first kiss this _was_ , he was absolutely shocked yet blissful. The prince was pleasantly surprised at how soft the opposing lips were, and could vaguely taste lingering smoke of some kind on them. He had forgotten that Shadow smoked a pipe, and he realized the source of the familiar smell from nights past; his mother had smoked a similar piece. Closing his eyes as well, he sighed deeply and parted his own lips slightly so as to allow a tongue to slip inside his mouth.

Obliging, Shadow indeed felt Tails' tongue with his own and inhaled sharply; he had not expected the kiss to go so far. He explored the prince's mouth with his own, and the prince did in kind; thus the two stood necking for many long moments that stretched into minutes. Safe in the fact that nobody would dare intrude without knocking, Tails allowed the moment to enrapture him, captivating his attention. Only when the knight finally uncoupled did he allow his mind to wander once more, thinking, " _This simply must become a regular occurrence."_

Shadow, on the other hand, was busy grappling with his morals. He had given in to lust and had fallen quite far, in his opinion, and he felt ashamed for kissing a boy of Tails' age. The knight also felt ashamed simply for having kissed a fellow man, and he recognized instantly that he would be ostracised for this fact alone if word ever got out. Panting slightly as though out of breath, the taller creature shakily stated, "There, we have kissed," before inquiring in a whispered tone, "Are you satisfied now?"

Tails frowned sadly, glancing down at the floor. "You mean to tell me you didn't enjoy that?" he breathed, dejected.

The knight hesitated, then, groaning loudly and leaning his head back, he shouted, "Augh! Why is my own mind making this so difficult?" He glanced at a slightly startled Tails and continued, "My prince, Tails, I enjoyed that moment very much." The prince's face lit up once more. "However," he added, and the prince's happiness faltered. "This was but a one-time occurrence. We are both due to be married, and it is highly improper for us to be engaging in such activity."

Crestfallen, the prince chuckled sadly, saying, "This isn't like my book at all," with pure melancholy eyes.

The knight simply retorted, "Life isn't like a book."

Tails turned to his bed; as tears welled up in his eyes, he sniffled, "You may leave now. I will see you early tomorrow." Before the knight could neither protest nor agree to his suggestion, he shuffled himself over to his bed and climbed on top. Without removing a single article of daytime clothing, he crawled under the covers and buried himself in the thick blanket; another sniff could be heard from inside.

Shadow then turned and swiftly left. He thought to himself, as he strolled down the corridor, " _This is exactly what I meant. As just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, the boy is too young; he cried when he didn't get his way!"_ He paused and halted his forward movement, comprehending just then that he didn't care. He liked the prince, and the prince reciprocated his feelings. Why _couldn't_ they date in secrecy, just as his book had described?

Shaking his head, he shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath then, opening his eyes once more, continued walking. He simply had to put the notions out of his brain; there was no future for the two of them. There never would be. There couldn't be. He was a knight, a mere lowly servant of sorts, and Tails was the royal prince; their love was forbidden for a multitude of reasons.

As he exited the castle, he found himself unwilling to take another step in the direction of his home. He desperately did not want to return to his fiancé now, after what he had done with the prince. Yes, he did not care much for her, and yes, he had ignored her in the past, but he had never actively committed adultery of any kind. Even kissing was grounds for sin in his eyes. Simply put, he couldn't face her with his own guilt and shame.

Regretting the previous few moments of his life greatly, he groaned softly once more and furrowed his brow in anger. As a knight and servant, he could not express his true emotions around the castle, but the truth was that Shadow was naturally an extremely, perpetually livid creature. He made his way to the orchard behind the garden and under the gaze of the setting sun, he picked a single apple. Staring at its perfect looking shape for a moment, he suddenly widened his eyes and yelled incoherently, throwing it as hard as he possibly could against a nearby stone wall. It broke apart into dozens of pieces, and juice flew everywhere, staining his clothing. He stood under the tree and, picking more apples, he repeated this motion until his arm grew tired, yelling all the while; the tree he had chosen was nearly bare, and his shirt was soaked with the liquid.

Finally, panting heavily and now _quite_ out of breath, he knelt and closed his eyes. His mind raced in a million different directions, most of them involving the prince and all of them involving his romantic frustrations as a whole. The knight inhaled sharply and exhaled shakily, over and over, until he had sufficiently calmed himself.

Opening his eyes, he glanced over his shoulder and noticed a red echidna staring at him intently, eyebrows raised. It was his friend, Knuckles, one of the few people Shadow genuinely liked and felt he could trust with anything; that being said, there were still certain things he did not share with the echidna. Slowly he stood to his feet and turned to face the fellow knight, softly requesting the knowledge, "How long were you watching me?"

"Long enough," came a somewhat cryptic response. Frowning, Knuckles walked over to his fellow knight and placed a large hand on his shoulder, inquiring, "Does this have anything to do with Rouge leaving?" Remembering earlier in the day, the hedgehog suddenly grinned and sighed in relief. He had forgotten that Rouge was to leave on a mission for the king, and he would have his home and bed to himself.

He lied back, "Ah, yes, somewhat." He could not bring himself to tell his friend the truth about his fiancé or the prince, for though he trusted Knuckles greatly, he did not know if he would be forced to report back to the king on such egregious topics. "We will have to reschedule our wedding date," he continued, appearing to be melancholy.

The red knight nodded and plainly inquired, "Would you like to come into town with me? We can drink our troubles away."

Shadow blinked. He was surprised the laidback and carefree man before him had troubles, but he leaped on the opportunity to drink his own misery into oblivion. He nodded in response, and the two began down the thicker cobblestone path that led away from the manor and Shadow's abode.

A half hour or so passed, and the two found themselves in the nearest town. A large, bustling urban centre of 30,000 or so, it held a large plaza in the middle of the city which housed two separate taverns alone. Shadow and Knuckles entered one and sat at a table, at which point the red echidna loudly demanded an entire bottle of whiskey be brought to the table. Shadow blinked, then whistled loudly.

"What occasion calls for such a drink? And where did you acquire the funds?" he inquired of the knight. They made enough to support themselves and perhaps a spouse, but not much more; this sole bottle would be one weeks' pay.

Knuckles simply snorted, "Inheritance," as the bottle was brought to the table. Sliding money across the wooden counter to pay for it, he then opened the large glass flask and took a swig.

"I see…" Shadow whispered, afraid of his volume so as not to distress the echidna. When his fellow knight had taken his drink and set the bottle on the table with a warm breathy gasp, the hedgehog tilted his head and extended his hand. Obliging, Knuckles handed him the bottle, and he took a swig as well.

The two drank well into the night until the bottle was completely empty, candlelight from the dangling chandelier glistening off of its sides brilliantly. The pair were thoroughly drunk, and Shadow knew he would regret his decisions in the morning when he had to report the prince.

 _"The prince,"_ he thought solemnly. " _Why can't I wrap my mind around that boy…?"_

Suddenly, the echidna let out a sniffle and a tear rolled down his cheek and he realized he was not the only one with issues that day. Flailing slightly, he put his arm around his friends' shoulder and attempted to soothe him, whispering, "Hey, why don't we go outside where it's quiet, and we can discuss this."

Knuckles nodded and, standing on unsteady and drunken legs, grabbed the empty flask and made his way to the doorframe where he stood for several long moment, groaning to himself. The two walked out into the centre of the plaza where the full moon shone brightly on them. A couple people milled about, but save them it was empty in the town, for everyone had gone to bed. They made their way over to several benches that lay around the edges of the square and sat down quietly.

Unsure of how to start the terrible conversation that lay before him, Shadow pensively stared at the sky, vision blurring slightly as he looked on at the milky expanse of stars above. He finally found the right topic and asked, almost carefree, "Lovely night, is it not?"

Knuckles began to wail loudly. Taken aback, Shadow simply sat in silence and allowed the sobbing to continue freely and loudly. Several passing people glanced warily at the knights but said nothing. After many long moments and several deep breaths, the echidna was able to choke out the words, "My father," before weeping quietly into his hands. The hedgehog wasn't quite sure what to do in such a situation; they had been merrily drinking but moments before.

"You mentioned inheritance…?" the hedgehog prompted softly, wishing not to upset his friend further.

Nodding once more, the echidna sighed sadly and whispered, "I knew it coming for a while now, yet I find myself distraught nonetheless." Sniffling and sloppily wiping his face, he added, "I loved that man dearly."

Shadow stared at the moon for a few moments. He could relate to his friend's loss, and found his comforting words caught in his throat in his own sadness. His own father had died not long ago, hardly a fortnight, and as he opened his mouth to console his fellow knight he found that no sound could escape.

Just as he was about to force the speak out of his throat, the red creature beside him flashed anger and resentment in his violet eyes and grabbed the bottle swiftly, chucking it as hard as he could in a high arc. It hit the dead centre of the plaza and shattered into hundreds of pieces of broken glass, and Shadow, in his drunken state, did not so much as bat an eye to the motion. He could relate to this as well, after all.

Shakily, Knuckles muttered, "That's enough out of me. I deserve to suffer my pain in silence."

Shadow narrowed his eyes, retorting, "That's hardly true, and you know this. Everyone experiences grief, even the king; we all deserve to speak of it."

Snorting, the echidna shot back, "Well then, I don't wish to. If that is the case, why don't you speak of your own suffering? You have drank as much as me if not more."  
Hesitating, the hedgehog muttered, "Touché," before kicking the ground gently.

This was not satisfactory to the fellow knight, however, and he stood at once, raising his voice as he said, "No, hypocrite, I have shared my troubles, now you will share yours."

Shadow groaned; it wasn't so much that he did not want to share his emotions with his friend, quite the contrary. He found confiding in a trusted comrade to be relaxing and rewarding in its own ways. The hedgehog was simply scared that his secret may be too big for the echidna to handle, and that the news may somehow make its way back to the king. He feared for his life, yet something in him told him he could trust the man before him.

Vaguely aware of the cool summer breeze that blew through periodically, Shadow whispered, "You yearn for knowledge into my life? Then I shall tell you plainly that I no longer wish to marry Rouge."

This visibly startled the echidna, who nearly fell off the bench in a jolt. He raised his speech volume loudly as he exclaimed, "Rouge? W-why ever not?"

Shadow frowned and growled softly, "Keep your voice down, friend! Do you wish for the whole town to know?"

Gulping slightly, the fellow knight nodded and lowered his voice once more as he repeated, "Why?"

Staring at the moon almost wistfully, Shadow bluntly stated, "I appear to enjoy the company of men better," before closing his eyes and breathing deeply through his nose, preparing himself for an outcry of a response. None came, however, as the echidna stayed silent as though processing the information slowly.

Eventually, the echidna spoke back, stating, "I see," before narrowing his eyes and adding the question, "Then why did you agree to be wed at all?"

Shadow snorted in response. "Pressure," he slurred back. "Pressure from my parents and from society. I hate it, really; if it were my choice, I'd stay alone forever." He paused, before muttering under his breath, "Well…"

He had hoped his friend had not heard this remark, but alas Knuckles picked up on the word and echoed, "Well? Well what?" He hesitated before adding, "Is there someone in particular you find yourself in liking?"

Shadow swallowed; he had desperately wanted to keep his secret just that, yet the alcohol in his system told him to do otherwise. "Knuckles," he began in a hardly audible whisper, "I find myself in a rather peculiar predicament. Yes, I like men, and that much we can agree is best kept secret, I hope; but will you be able to hold your tongue after what I am about to share with you?"

The echidna pursed his lips, rising to his feet. Several other patrons of the pub they had just left were noisily exiting the building and making their way across the plaza just then, and Knuckles stated, "Let us move somewhere quieter, if this secret really is so large, so as not to inform anyone else."

Shadow nodded and stood to his feet unsteadily. The two crossed the plaza and stepped into the alleyway shadows of a large, multi-floored building, where no one would dare hang about save them. The hedgehog began to tremble slightly as he realized the implications of what he was to say.

"The prince," Shadow stated before finding the remainder of his share caught in his throat.

Knuckles nodded slowly, his inebriated brain not catching the meaning of the name. He narrowed his eyes and prompted, "The prince…? What of the young boy?" When the hedgehog noticeably winced at the word young, the echidna inhaled sharply. "You don't mean to tell me you've taken a liking to _him_?" he gasped out, shivering despite the lack of cold. He received but a nod in response. Continuing, he asked in a whisper, "Does he know?"

"We kissed just today," Shadow stated bluntly, earning a look of pure shock from his friend. He went on, "He appears to have taken a liking to me as well, and we find each other's company soothing. Though…"

"Though?" the echidna echoed, perturbed yet intrigued.

Sighing, the hedgehog said, "I find it all to be highly improper, but the prince yearns for more. He claims to be awake at night, potentially even now, thinking of me. He claims I enter his dreams," he exaggerated for no reason in particular. "I haven't an idea of what to do. We both wish for it to continue, but I feel as though I must be the voice of reason and…" He trailed off before realizing, in his drunken state, that his emotions vastly outweighed his reason. He _wanted_ to be with the prince, and if the prince wanted to be with him, what was stopping them from acting out scenes from a book?

He faltered, then changed his sentence, slurring, "Though, I don't want to be the voice of reason. I wish for this to continue, and so does he. Therefor it shall," he finished bluntly, looking at the moon with newfound determination.

Knuckles was completely dumbfounded. His friend and fellow knight was talking of dangerous and treasonous things, and he felt it in him to convince him otherwise, though he knew not how. Unable to find the correct words, he simply replied, "Be safe, friend."

Shadow nodded, not looking at the echidna, and inquired, "Will you vow yourself to secrecy?" He glanced over, adding, "My life is on the line, yet I find myself unable to stop." The echidna hesitated, and Shadow simply added, "Please."

The echidna vacillated more; then, "…Alright," he said after a long while. "You have my word." He sighed, adding, "Now let us return home; surely we are both deserving of a long rest." Shadow nodded, and the two departed.

From around the corner, a single creature stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight. Casting long, deep shadows, she smiled gleefully as she whispered, to no one in particular, "You may have your dear friend's word… But do you have mine?" She watched the duo leave toward their separate abodes, stumbling over their steps, and she added to herself in her head, " _Best watch your backside, Shadow the Hedgehog. You may one day discover a knife deeply inserted inside it."_

* * *

Shadow found himself standing at the door to the prince's room in quite a peculiar set of circumstances. Gripping the doorknob, he discovered he was emotionally unable to enter, unable to face the boy after the events that had transpired the previous night. Rubbing the side of his temples with his free hand, he attempted to no avail to alleviate an intensive headache he had received upon waking. He briefly considered turning back and staying home for the day, claiming to the king to be too sick to work, but decided better of it; he did not wish to disappoint the prince.

Finally, sighing heavily, Shadow opened the door and knocked rapidly as he did so. He glanced around the somewhat large room and found it to be empty; furrowing his brown in puzzlement, he closed the door behind him and walked to the centre of the room. He turned towards the washroom door, which was closed, and came to the conclusion the prince must be there. He glided over to it, knocked, and waited.

Instead of a verbal response, the door simply opened, revealing the young prince to be wearing only shorts, with no shirt or really anything else. He bluntly inquired, "Yes?" with little expression on his face before exiting the washroom and walking over to his bed, sitting on it. He sighed when he received silence and added, nearly monotone, "I was simply taking a bath; there's no need to become so flustered."

Failing in his attempt to hide his face so as not to reveal his cheeks, which were flush with colour, the knight stumbled over his tongue in an attempt to respond. "Ah, no, you," he said, chuckling nervously, "That is quite alright; I am just here to report in, as it is now morning…" he trailed off and winced as a particularly bad bout of head pain shot through him.

Concern flashed through the fox's eyes for a moment before he hardened his gaze once more. In a steady, emotionless voice, he requested the knowledge, "What seems to be ailing you this time?"

Perturbed by his price's lack of caring, he tentatively answered, "Oh, I appear to have head pains this morning; I was up late last night, with an old friend…" He trailed off once more, unsure as whether to finish his statement.

Tails finished it for him, however, by simply quipping, "Drinking, I suppose?" The hedgehog nodded, and he went on in a sigh, "To 'forget your troubles', if I'm not mistaken?"

Frowning, Shadow walked over and instinctually sat on the bed beside the fox. "Yes… How have you acquired such knowledge?"

The prince simply snorted and answered, "Your clothing is wrinkled and you look a mess." Then, finally allowing care to return to his expressions, he gently added, "Here, shall I fetch you some new clothes?"

The knight shook his head and groaned softly in pain, earning another glance of concern from the young fox. He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, ultimately deciding to give in to his whims and desires.

"Tails, my prince," Shadow began softly, "I have thought much about the night before." The prince perked up his head at this, cautiously interested though careful not to give too much of his emotions away. The hedgehog continued, "I have decided that I much enjoyed our kiss. I have thought that perhaps life _can_ be a tad like a book, if one is careful-"

He was cut off by the prince, who boldly inquired, "Are we to kiss again?"

Shadow couldn't help but laugh at this. "Are you always so impatient? I was hardly finished speaking," he chuckled, opening his eyes and staring at the fox with loving eyes. He paused for a moment before finally continuing, "If it is what you desire, than who am I to keep us both from what we want?"

Widening his eyes as though he couldn't believe what was transpiring, the prince found himself asking, "Are you certain?" before regretting it. Why bother with such transparencies? If the knight reciprocated his feelings, he should leap upon the opportunity to take full advantage before feelings and minds were changed, or so he thought.

He relaxed his tensions once more when a soft reply came drifting back across the bed, "I'm certain." The hedgehog sat up with some effort and grasped the fox's wrist firmly, somewhat aggressively pulling the creature towards him. Their faces rushed together, and Shadow found them to occupy the same space once more.

The two locked their lips together again, this time more forcefully than the night previous, and they both narrowed their eyes in time as they fully grasped the situation. They were breaking every rule, yet neither party cared. Tails wrapped his arms around the knight's back and held him in a warm, tight embrace which the hedgehog quickly returned, placing one hand on the prince's shoulder and the other on his hip. Moving slowly, the prince ran his hand up the knight's back from over his shirt and felt the warm, broad muscles underneath. He sighed in blissfulness as Shadow's tongue entered his mouth once more, this time more aggressively in its movements.

The two stayed embraced on the bed for minutes together, passionately kissing until finally they simply _had_ to break away for air. Tails smiled widely and began giggling, almost uncontrollably, and Shadow found himself inexplicably embarrassed. As the fox turned to laughing, the hedgehog frowned and almost angrily shot out, "What do you find to be so humorous in such a moment?"

The fox breathed as though to control himself and, finding his words, finally got out, "I'm just so happy." The knight sighed. He was undoubtedly happy too, yet he couldn't shake a nagging sense of dread that sat with him, somewhere in his chest…

He finally responded, "I'm pleased too, though you have to understand that for this to continue, it must be of the utmost importance to keep it a secret.

The prince frowned in mock displeasure and shot back somewhat humorously, "I'm well aware, and I intend to; so let me have my happiness." Smiling, he added, "And with that, so to let me have you all to myself."

Shadow grimaced internally; had he made a mistake? The boy before him seemed incapable of taking the situation fully seriously, and was far too joyous at such potential danger. Was he not emotionally developed enough for a relationship? Should he have waited until he had grown, or still more, held his tongue and desires and not held a relationship with him at all?

Tails sighed and closed his eyes, laying down on the bed with a smile still on his face. Seeing the blissfully happy fox, he decided that he had made no mistake at all; this secret would be well kept, and he would be happy with his new connection. The hedgehog smiled and lay beside the prince before wrapping his arms around him, embracing him warmly. The two held each other until sleep eventually overtook them both, and they slumbered peacefully knowing they had each other. For the first time in either's lives, they felt truly whole.

 **Author's Note II:** Oof, sorry this story is such hot garbage, I'm trying my best… Ahaha… Chapter three up whenever I get the chance!


End file.
